Slide-bearing lubricator.



F. P. IDE. SLIDE BEARING LUBBIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED mm. 26,- 190 926,333 Ptented June'29, 1909.

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- To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS P. IDE, or SPRINGFIELD, LLL1NO1S,ASSIGNORTO A. L. IDE & SONS, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLlNOIS, A FIRM.

SLIDE-BEARING LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Z Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,217.

Be it known that I, FnANoIs 1?. Ion, citizenaof the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Slide-Bearing Lubricators, of which the following is a full,

" clear, concise, and exact description, referonce being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to steam engines and particularly to that class of steam engines in which reciprocating slides are employed to couple valve rods and the valve-driving eccentric rods, said slides being frequently employed in place of ball and socket connections between the eccentric rods and the valve rods, as in cases where the eccentric is out of alinement with the valve rod, as in certain types of side and center crank engines.=- Great difliculty has been experienced in properly lubricating 'these slides, as,is wellknown to those skilled in the art, and it isthe object of my invention to provide impfoved. means whereby these slides may be satisfactorily lubricated.

. In practicing my invention, I provide end guides for the slide, that are separated longitudina lly of the slide, these end guides constituting vertical end walls of an oil chamber, which oil chamber has side walls which rise to a height preferably extending slightly above the slide, and abottom wall underlying the slide and joining the side walls'and end walls of the oil chamber. The reciprocating slide is desirably rectangular in cross-section, though I donot wish to be limited to the shape of the slide, the end guides being provided with apertures preferably extending entirely therethrough, which apertures conform in shape to the cross-section of the slide. The chamber thus constituted of the stated end guides,

.side walls, and bottom, is preferably oil tight, except at the top, which is open, and except for the clearance that purposely exists between the slide and the end guides, and said chamber being thus oil ti ht, is sufficiently filled with oil so as pre erably entirely to cover the slide. The slide inits reciprocal movements, thus has its intermediate portion passing through a body of lubricant, the slide carrying sufficient 011 with it as it moves to lubricate the surfaces of the end guides that en age theslide, so that there is always assured a constant lubrication of the slide and the surfaces engaging the same. By causingthc slide thus to be immersed ip oil, frictional wear between the slide and the guides directing the same in its movement is very materially prevented, and even though there should be large clearance between the slide and the engaging surfaces of the guides, the oil that IS copiously supplied serves to )revent loose movement of the slide, and thus serves to reduce the wear that such large clearance would otherwise occasion, the noise which would otherwise occur in the presence ofnnduly large clearance being also avoided. Although the clearance betweenthe slide and the slide engaging surfaces of the guides is as small as practicable in the preferred embodiment of the invention, yet, there is and should be seepage of oil through the slide engaging apertures of the guides, which seepage I desirably catch in a suitable receptacle, which may be in'the'form of a basin underlyingthe slide and encompassing the same.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred embodiment thereof as applied to one make of steam engines, in which drawing-- Figure l is a plan View. I tional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 '3 of Fi 2.

Like parts areindicated by similar characters, of reference throughout the different figures.

I have not deemedit necessary to show' an entire steam engine, inasmuch as the adaptation of my invention thereto will readily be understood by those skilled in the art.-

I have indicated the side wall a of aside crank engine, u on which is bolted a housing or support that carries two members 0 c of guides, the balance of the guide members cl (5 being preferably separately formed from the members c 0 and are bolted thereto. The end guides, each formed of two members c d, are rovided with openings or channels therethrough which correspond in cross-section to the cross-section of the slide 0, which in its movement is preferably designed to project at one limit of its travel clear through one guide and at the other limit of its travel clear through the other guide. A space is alforded between the end guides, said guides forming a part of an oilreceiving chamber f, owing to the presence of the side walls 9 and the bottom h,-which are united with the end ides and cause the oil chamber f to be oi tight, except at the top of the chamber and purposely where the slide passes through the end guides.

The side walls 9 desira ly rise to a height that extends slightly above the top surface of the slide 6, so that the chamber 1 may contain lubricant to a suflicient depth completely to immerse the intermediate portion of the slide 6, that portion of the slidewhich is not inclosed by the end guides. In order that the oil may thus be provided in the oil chamber f to this selected height, the slide 6 is preferably provided Iwith a vertical projecting stem 71 instead of a lateral projecting connection, as has been so common hitherto. This stem 2' is provided with a through-bolt is having an enlargement Z and a nut an, between which nut and enlargement the verticalstem i is rigidly clamped. One end of the-through-bolt k has pivotal connection with the oscillating eccentric rod 92, while the other end of the through-bolt 7:; has rigid connection with the reciprocating valve rod 0. The eccentric rod in its oscillating and reciprocatin movements causes reciprocation of the s ide i,'and thereby the actuation of the valve rod 0. Even though the reciprocation of theslide i may be rapid, yet it the slide upon the lubricating oil that woulda cause the splashing of the oil, and inasmuch as this thrusting action is absent, the advantages of my invention are attained. Although there is preferably but slight clearance betweenthe slide 0 and its end guides, yet, I purposely provide some clearance, in order that there may be slight seepage of oil through the end guides for the very purpose of lubricating the surfaces of the end guides that engage the slide and define the direction thereof in its reciprocal movement. The oil which passes through slides from the chamber f may be replenished in said chamber inany suitable way.

In order that the oil which seeps through the end guides may not fall upon the floor, I locate a basin 3'; below the end guides, and which projects longitudinally of theengine frame sufficiently to extend beyond the extreme travel of the slide, this basin having walls which rise sufiiciently high so as to afford an overflow. chamber, the walls of the basin being desirably carried as high as the side walls g, forthe purpose of taking care of oil that flows from other parts.

it is quite important to provide means for preventing the oil in the outside chamber or basin from rising to a material height, be-

Qcause if the oil in the basin g) were to rise to a material height, the oil in such basin would be subject to the thrusting action of the slide e,'which it is the object of my invention to avoid. To this end, I provide any suitable means for limiting the rise of the oil in the chamber p, such, for example, as a drop cock 9, though I do not wish to be limited to'the employment of the drop cock.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated, as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

-Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. An engine structure including a reciprocating slide connected with a valve rod of the engine, a lubricant-containin chamber, there being present slide guides etween which the lubricant-receivingspace of the chamber is disposed, the openings in the slide guides conforming substantially to the shape of the slide in cross-section, said openings being in communication with the lubricant containing space of the chamber to enable lubricant to pass from said space into the openings in the guides, the lubricant-containing chamber being suiiiciently deep to contain enough lubricant substantially to immerse the slide, the intermediate portion of the slide having a vertically extending stem which travels between the slide guides and which forms a part of the mechanical connectionbetween the valve rod and the mechanism for operating the slide and valve rod.

2. An engine structure including a re ciprocating slide connected with a valve rod of the engine, a lubricant-containing chamher, there being present slide guides between which the lubricant-receiving space of the chamber is disposed, the openings in said slide guides receiving the slide and being in communication with the lubricant-receiving space of the chamber, so that lubricant may enter the guide openings and lubricate the slide and guides, the intermediate portion of the slide having a vertically extending stem which travels between the slide guides and which forms a part of the mechanical connection between the valve rod and the mechanism for operating the slide and valve rod.

3. An engine structure including a reciprocating slide connected with a valve rod of the engine, a lubricant-containing cha n her, there being present slide guides between which the lubricant-receiving space of the chamber is disposed, the openings in said slide guides receiving the slide and being in communication with the lubricant-receiving space of the chamber, so that lubricant may enter the giiide openings and lubricatevthe slide and guides, the lubricant-containing chamber being sufficiently deep to contain enough lubricant substantially to immerse the slide; the openings in the slide uides that receive the slide. conforming su stantially to the shape of the slide in cross-section.

of the engine, a lubricant-containing chamber,there being presentslide guides between which the lubricant-receiving space of the 'chamber is disposed, the openings in said :slide guides. receiving the slide and being in' colmnunieation with the lubricalit-receiving l 4, Au engine structure including a reciprocatuig slide connected with a valve rod space of the chamber, so that lubricant may enter the guide openings and lubricate the ing in communication with the lnbricant-receiviug space of the chamber, so that lubricant may enter the guide openings and lubricate the slide and guides.

V In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this sixteenth day of February FRANCIS 1. IDE.

Witnesses C. A. EnwAnns, FRANCIS A. Bax'rnn. 

